


What the Knight Sees

by xisney



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-03
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2018-01-19 11:37:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1468063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xisney/pseuds/xisney
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Medieval Alternate-Universe fic wherein Lord Hannibal Lecter offers the prophet knight Will a position as his military adviser. Will is unsure he wants to leave the rest of the knights to take on a more passive position.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What the Knight Sees

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pseudoScrivener](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pseudoScrivener/gifts).



Will sat at a sturdy wooden table and propped up his head propped with his hand on his forehead. His head ached, and the dull drone of his fellow knights’ conversation washed over him without sinking in. His tunic clung to him with sweat and humidity. The voices stopped as the door to the dining hall creaked open. Thick blond hair walked through the entranceway, and Will caught the blue eye of Bedelia Du Maurier.

“Lord Hannibal Lecter would like to see Sir William,” she said.

Jack Crawford nodded for Will to leave, and Will stood up and followed Bedelia out of the room. Bedelia Du Maurier was Hannibal Lecter’s political advisor, but Will quickly came to know her as the woman who helped Hannibal with his booty calls. Du Maurier thought Hannibal could do better than the meek prophet knight and Will simply thought Du Maurier was a frigid bitch, and, while the pair never mentioned these thoughts to the other, it was very clear by their stiff and silent attitudes around the other. So they walked without speaking down the hallways to Lecter’s chambers.

Bedelia opened the door and escorted William to Hannibal’s bath in a small, adjoining room. The Lord regally sat sprawled out nude in the tub with his arms hanging over the edge of it, and Du Maurier said, “Are you certain it is wise, my lord, to pull Sir William out of the strategy meeting?”

“It is fine,” Hannibal replied. “He likely has already made his contribution to the discussion, and at this time he usually stops listening and starts nursing a headache.”

Du Maurier rolled her eyes as he motioned for her to leave. Before she even shut the door, Hannibal said to the knight, “Undress.”

“Du Maurier is right. We were in the middle of discussing battle strategies,” Will said. “It’s not exactly something I should miss.”

Hannibal Lecter offered Will a serene smile, and he tugged the knight closer to the tub by his green tunic. “You don’t need to hear those strategies, dear William. You’ll be riding next to me in this battle, and I’ll keep you safe.”

Will frowned. Hannibal sat upright and cupped Will’s bearded cheeks in his hands. When he leaned upwards to kiss Will’s lips, Will said, “I don’t want to ride with you. I’m used to riding next to Dame Beverly Katz. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we work together on the field.”

“Dame Beverly does not need anyone,” Hannibal said. “She just likes to look out for you, and now I want to look out for you.”

He tried kissing Will again, but Will said, “Why are you taking a bath?”

“I like to bathe before a battle and again after the feast,” Hannibal replied. “That way I can gauge how much gore covered my flesh in each fight.” Offering a wider smile, he continued, “I thought you could join me.”

“I’m fine,” Will said, “or is this not optional like the rest of your orders?”

Grabbing the front of Will’s tunic, Hannibal pulled the knight down to kiss his earlobe. His stubble rubbed against Will’s neck as Hannibal kissed under his chin. A pleasing throb shot through Will, and the knight ran his fingers through Hannibal’s greasy hair. “Undress,” his lord murmured.

Will followed Hannibal’s orders and undressed before sliding in front of Hannibal into the warm tub. The lord’s arms wrapped around Will’s torso and he kissed the knight’s cheek. Will hoped Hannibal didn’t see his smile and breathed in the salty scent of the bath. “You’re warm,” Hannibal said. He put his hand on Will’s forehead and said, “Have you seen something?”

Will thinned his lips. Hannibal sighed and kissed Will’s ear again before starting to scrub Will’s chest. Will closed his eyes and relaxed as Hannibal picked dirt out from under the knight’s nails. His lips stayed against Will’s ears. “Tell me what you see, Will.”

“It’s cloudy,” Will replied. “My head aches too much to see things clearly.”

“Perhaps this will help you relax enough to see,” Hannibal replied and rubbed Will’s wrists.

“I’m already feeling relaxed.”

Hannibal kissed Will’s neck and traced his fingers back down his chest. Will relaxed as Hannibal continued cleaning and massaging his skin. He opened his eyes as he took Hannibal’s hands in his own and cleaned the dirt between his lord’s fingers. Hannibal’s skin was lighter where he wore his rings, and Will scrubbed until the rest of his skin matched.

Hannibal tilted Will’s chin upwards to kiss him, and Hannibal purred as their lips brushed together. There was a knock on the door, and Hannibal said “Enter,” while Will tried to sink deeper in the tub. The knight pulled his knees to his chest as Alana walked into the room. Hannibal kept his hand coiled around Will’s chest, and Will continued trying to clean Hannibal’s hands to look busy. Alana avoided Will’s eye and looked directly at Hannibal.

“Lady Abigail snuck out again,” Alana said. “I believe she’s seeing that witch on the edge of your forest. Fredricka. She always goes to see her. I understand that witchcraft and,” she thinned her lips as she looked at Will in the tub, “prophecies interest you, but having someone like that influencing Abigail is extremely dangerous.”

“Abigail is old enough to make her own choices, and Fredricka respects me. The more I limit Abigail, the more she will pull away from me.”

“But Hannibal, you can’t just let her run wild.”

“She’s not running wild,” Hannibal said while he rubbed Will’s chest. “She always steals a sword when she goes, and she can handle herself just fine.”

Alana frowned and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I have confidence in Abigail’s ability to handle herself, but I don’t have confidence in Fredricka’s influence over her. Wouldn’t you be more impressed if she asked your permission to go out?”

Hannibal shrugged. “She has to find some way to rebel. I would prefer it to be in a way I’m aware of and with a person I can control.”

Nodding, Alana said, “Whatever you wish.”

Will could see Alana’s frustration lifting her eyebrow, but she realized arguing with Hannibal would likely do little to change his opinion. Hannibal kissed Will’s ear and pulled his hand under water to rest it on the knight’s inner thigh. Against Will’s neck, Hannibal said to Alana, “Was there something else you need from me?”

Alana asked, “Are you sure it is wise to pull Sir William out of their strategy discussion?”

“William will be riding with me into battle,” Hannibal said, “and he likely already contributed his opinions to the discussion.”

“Hannibal, his strategies are the main thing he contributes to your force,” Alana said. “We both know that he is not the strongest fighter –“

“He’s certainly muscular enough,” Hannibal said. “He just lets fear control him too much.”

“I’m sitting right here,” Will muttered.

Colour rose to Alana’s cheeks and Hannibal kissed Will’s cheek as he said, “We’re not criticizing you. We are just discussing your strengths and weaknesses.”

“You are a strong knight, Will,” Alana said. “It’s just you are much better than the other knights at strategy, which is why I think it’s unreasonable for Lord Hannibal to pull you out of something so important for a bath.”

“I plan to have sex with him too, Alana.”

Alana rolled her eyes. “I am clearly not winning any discussion today.”

“I didn’t realize it was a competition,” Hannibal said, “though it is a pleasure to win.”

“I will keep a close eye on Lady Abigail tomorrow to make sure she doesn’t try to go out to battle with you again. I will also be on hand when you return from the field in case you need any extra medicinal help with any injuries.”

“Thank you,” Hannibal said.

“I will wait for Abigail to return and I will hold my tongue. If she wants to see you, I should say you are…?”

“Otherwise occupied for now,” Hannibal said, smiling against Will’s bearded cheek.

Alana thinned her lips once before leaving the pair alone again. Hannibal said, “I suppose that undermined your attempts at relaxing.”

“Do you really think I am a mediocre knight?”

“I would not say mediocre. I would say your strengths differ from the other knights, and I would say fear drives you more than the others as well. It’s not a criticism, it’s just an observation. Too much courage can be a downfall. It is important to be afraid sometimes.”

Will didn’t reply. Hannibal wrapped his arms around Will and hugged him.

Hannibal said, “You could retire and become my advisor. I have Du Maurier for my political discussions, and I could use you for any battle discussions. Jack already values your opinion greatly, and I think both he and I would sleep better knowing we aren’t risking your mind by putting you onto the front lines.”

“But that’s the easiest way to see everyone’s styles and strategies first hand,” Will said. “I need to see and experience the battlefield.”

“And that’s why I am holding you back with me.”

Again, Will held his tongue, but he relaxed in Hannibal’s arm. Alana knew there was a time Hannibal’s opinion could be swayed, but there was also a time when his mind would not change. Will was still learning when to push and when to surrender. Du Maurier was the best at changing his mind, but neither Alana nor Will had that ability, and Will doubted he ever would.

“Are you worried about how the other knights treat you when I give you special attention?”

“No.”

“Are you worried they will call you a coward?”

“Yes.”

“You excel at hiding your fear,” Hannibal said, running his fingers down Will’s arms. “I don’t think anyone will call you a coward.”

“What about my, er, my,” Will let his voice trail off.

“Your visions.”

“They are getting harder to hide,” Will said. “I am beginning to see things that I know aren’t there, and I keep losing time. You know the other day my head fell to the table when I lost time. What if that happens when I’m fighting?”

“This is why I want to take you off the field, Will,” Hannibal replied. “You’re an exceptional strategist, and you’re a valuable prophet.”

“We don’t know what I’m seeing,” Will said as he climbed out of the tub. “It might be nonsense. I might be losing my mind.”

Hannibal motioned for Will to lean over the tub, and he complied. Hannibal scrubbed dirt from his cheekbones, forehead, and cheeks. Will closed his eyes as Hannibal wiped his eyelids and down his nose. Hannibal’s thumb lightly brushed against his lips. Will kissed it. Hannibal cupped Will’s cheeks in his hands, and, when Will opened his eyes, the Lord smiled at him.

“I don’t believe it’s nonsense,” Hannibal replied. “You have a gift, Will. You’re able to predict our enemies’ movements, and perhaps these visions are just the next step.”

“I’m not always right.”

“I would rather be prepared for something that won’t happen than to be unprepared for something I have been warned about.”

Will nodded. “Fair enough.”

Hannibal stood up, and Will took a moment to appreciate Hannibal’s nude form while Hannibal scrubbed himself down one final time. Will held out his hand to help the lord out of the tub, and Hannibal offered him a kind smile as he gently took Will’s hand in his own. After Hannibal stepped out, Will kissed his chest and his nipple. His hands moved down Hannibal’s hips and gripped his ass firmly. Hannibal brushed the curly hair off of Will’s forehead to kiss him there.

“Wait for me in bed,” Hannibal said.

Will tilted Hannibal’s chin downwards to peck his lips, and then he left the room to climb into Hannibal’s bed. He relaxed against the thick, rich bed sheets. The only thing he liked about his visions was that Hannibal asked him to his bed most nights to hear about his dreams as soon as he woke up. Hannibal’s bed was, for a good reason, much nicer than his own, and he relished in the opportunity to sleep in it.

He stayed sprawled out in the bed as he listened to Hannibal talk to his servants. When Hannibal came back in with his arms folded behind him, he took a moment to appreciate the sight of Will in his bed. “You certainly don’t look weak,” he said. He set a jar on the nightstand before he draped himself next to Will. He traced his fingers down the center of the knight’s chest as he continued, “I know you could lift me if you wanted to. I often think of you carrying me off into the woods so we become mysterious hermits together with responsibilities only to each other.”

Will smiled and wormed his body closer to Hannibal’s. He watched Hannibal’s lips as he said, “You make me feel weak.”

“Oh?”

“In my legs, in my stomach, in my chest,” Will said.

“I certainly don’t intend to, my dear William.”

“And when you pull me to the back of the battlefield where I’m unlikely to even raise my sword makes me feel weak as well.”

Hannibal smiled and kissed Will’s forehead. “You are mistaken. You’re in the back with me because I am weak, because I will not be able to function, let alone fight, if I am worrying about you near the front. And if something happened to you, well, I would not even care to imagine it.”

“Really?”

Hannibal nodded and pecked Will’s lips. The knight rubbed Hannibal’s chest before coiling his hands around his back. Hannibal said, “You make me feel strong. With you beside me, I feel as though I’m no longer alone in the world and that together we could be completely unstoppable.”

“Do you intend to conquer more land?”

“No,” Hannibal said. “We’re just in a much-desired location. I need to keep my kingdom and people protected. And I know I’ll be able to do that with you.”

He kissed Will again, and the knight watched Hannibal through the safety of his eyelashes. “So you do not wish for me to carry you off into the woods?”

“Not yet,” Hannibal said. He traced his hands down Will’s sides and then gave his ass a firm squeeze. “But I will let you know if the time comes.”

Kissing Hannibal again, Will hooked his leg over his lord’s to pull their bodies together. He ground his hips against Hannibal’s and pried his lord’s mouth open with his own to deepen the kiss. He smoothed out Hannibal’s hair with one hand while the other crept lower down his chest. His cock ached and he hoped Hannibal felt the same frustration teasing him. Hannibal murmured against Will’s lips, “Are you planning to show me your skill with handling a sword, sir knight?”

“If my Lord wishes,” Will replied. “I fear penetration may be a mistake if we intend ride out on horses tomorrow. It could make for an unnecessarily uncomfortable journey.”

“Perhaps I like the discomfort,” Hannibal said. He kissed Will’s neck and pressed his thumb against Will’s nipple. “Every hint of pain reminds me of the pleasure you bring me.”

“I want my Lord to be in the best condition for battle,” Will said with a shiver. “What does it say about us if we cannot contain ourselves for one night, especially when there are many other things I can do to please my Lord?”

“It says we are mad for each other,” Hannibal said with a chuckle, “but I would not disapprove of experiencing these many other things, Sir William.”

“Do you have any special requests?”

“I would like to taste your climax since I will not feel it,” Hannibal replied, moving his hips against Will’s, “and you may do whatever you wish to me.”

“My Lord is certainly generous today.”

Kissing Will’s neck, Hannibal squeezed Will’s ass with one hand while the other grabbed the jar off the nightstand. Will took it from his lord’s hand and opened it while he arched his chest against Hannibal’s lips. His cock throbbed against Hannibal’s and, after spreading the lotion onto his hand, Will reached down to jerk them off together. With his thumb resting on the head of Hannibal’s cock, his palm worked Hannibal’s shaft while his fingers teased his own. Hannibal moved his hips against Will’s rhythm and panted against his chest.

Increasing his rhythm, Will watched Hannibal’s lips part before he bit his lower lip. Will tightened his leg around his lord’s and ground their hips together while his thumb drew lazy circles around the head of Hannibal’s erection. Hannibal already started to ooze against Will’s thumb, and he tightly gripped the back of Will’s head to kiss him hungrily. His other hand enveloped Will’s to increase his pace, and his own thumb put pressure against the head of Will’s throbbing cock.

Heat filled Will’s cheeks, and Hannibal drew a moan out from between the knight’s lips as he broke the kiss. “I am eager to taste you, Will.”

He rolled Will back onto the bed and pinned his arms above his head by his wrists. He kissed the knight once more as Will arched his body back up against Hannibal’s. Still gripping Will’s wrists, Hannibal kissed his neck, his chest, and his nipple with Will squirming beneath him. Will’s cock throbbed, and Hannibal finally released his wrists as he kissed down the center of Will’s chest. Will rubbed Hannibal’s back while Hannibal kissed his pelvis. His chin brushed against Will’s cock, and he squeezed and spread Will’s ass cheeks. Hooking his legs across Hannibal’s shoulders, Will rubbed his Lord’s hair while Hannibal kissed and licked the flesh beneath his testicles.

Will moaned as Hannibal licked and sucked one of his testicles. Rubbing Will’s chest, Hannibal watched the knight as he licked up the underside of his shaft before sucking the head of his cock. Hannibal continued rubbing Will’s chest with one hand while he ran the other between his ass cheeks. Will bucked his hips upwards as Hannibal took more of his erection into his mouth. He teased the knight’s shaft with his tongue while his lips moved quickly against it.

Panting, Will tightened his grip on Hannibal’s hair and moved his hips quickly against Hannibal’s rhythm. Still rubbing Will’s chest, Hannibal jerked himself off while the knight watched and bit his lower lip to suppress another groan. Will curled his toes as he came with a shudder and a moan into Hannibal’s eager mouth. Hannibal stopped jerking himself off to rub the base of Will’s shaft as he sucked up and swallowed the remainder of his load.

Hannibal pinned Will’s forearms back above his head as he kissed him roughly, and he bit the knight’s lower lip as he pulled away. He murmured, “Would you finish me off in the same way, sir Knight?”

With a smile, Will said, “Whatever you wish, my Lord.”

Hannibal straddled Will just below his armpits and aimed his erection at Will’s lips. Will kissed the head of his cock, and, when he pulled away, a string of semen joined his lips to Hannibal’s cock. Hannibal’s lips parted at the sight. Will then took his cock back into his mouth, and Hannibal moved his hips to feel Will’s lips slide against his shaft.

Leaning forward and pressing more weight against Will’s forearms, Hannibal bucked his hips faster and forced more of his cock into Will’s mouth. He moaned openly as Will eagerly kept up with his pace while the knight sucked and licked his shaft with Hannibal’s testicles pressing against his chin. Will sucked quickly as Hannibal dug his nails into his forearms, and Will tasted his lord’s climax against his tongue as Hannibal tried to move his hips faster.

With a shudder and a moan, Hannibal shot his load into Will’s mouth and pulled out as he spilled across Will’s lips, face, and hair. Panting, Hannibal moved off of Will and released the knight’s sore forearms. Will wiped his face and mouth, thankful he closed his eyes at the right moment. The pair panted side by side, and Will turned his head to watch Hannibal’s chest rise and fall.

Hannibal smiled at him. “You are wonderful, my dear Will.”

“My Lord honours me,” Will replied, though he hardly appreciated the risk of getting semen in his eyes.

Hannibal pulled Will against him so the knight would snuggle up beside him, and the Lord draped his arm around him to keep them close together. Will kissed his lower lip and sucked it lightly, and Hannibal watched Will through his eyelashes. Will rubbed his chest.

The pair cuddled in silence, and Hannibal kept his lips propped against Will’s forehead. Will asked, “What does Abigail go to Fredricka for?”

Hannibal shrugged and moved back to lying on his back. Will continued to rub his chest. Hannibal said, “Fredricka claims to be a fortune teller; perhaps Abigail wants her future read. But she also claims to know the most about the present, so it could be that Abigail is using her to get her gossip.”

“What does that crazy woman know about what goes on outside of the woods? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her leave the woods.”

“She told me about you, you know,” Hannibal said, resting his hand on Will’s hip. “She said there was a knight who was said to see the future, and she said he had a cute ass and he could fuck like nothing I’ve ever felt before and he was desperate for a good one.”

“This is not amusing, Hannibal.”

“She said the first part,” Hannibal said. “And she said I hadn’t seen anyone like you before, which was very true. Also she has quite a selection of lotions, including the ones we use for sex.”

“Well I will not insult the lotions,” Will said with a smile. It faded as he continued, “I don’t understand why all this fantasy appeals so much to you and Abigail, especially when you both are so grounded in reality.”

“I already said I would rather be prepared than unprepared,” Hannibal said. “And I honestly think that Abigail is just lonely, and that Alana and I aren’t enough to keep her company.”

“Does she ever talk about me?” Will asked.

Hannibal smiled. “She calls you my bedmate.”

Will sighed.

Hannibal continued, “It’s better than being called her father’s murderer, right? She’s not going to thank you for saving her life by killing her father, but I think she’ll forgive you. I think once you discover your father has been killing city girls and, with the pieces he does not feed to his family, he fertilizes his crop with, you’re more forgiving to the person who killed him.”

“It was kind of you to claim she was your cousin and take her in here,” Will said. “It will save her from being demonized by the people. I suppose if you hadn’t, Fredricka would have taken her in.”

“I wasn’t going to leave her to fend for herself,” Hannibal said. “The whole thing was rather exciting, wasn’t it? You and I following one of your hunches together once too many of my servants’ girls went missing. I still remember the way you sliced him open with your sword when he charged at you after he stabbed Abigail.”

“This isn’t romantic, Hannibal.”

“It is to me,” he replied. “Besides, it is proof of your prophetic abilities, isn’t it? Part of you knew he was behind it. You just haven’t figured out how to tap into it completely yet.”

Will rolled his eyes. “I think it’s more likely I’ve lost my mind.”

Will turned away from Hannibal, and the Lord wrapped his arms around his neck and drew him back against his chest. “You’ve made me lose my mind,” Hannibal murmured. “All I think about is the nervous little Knight with second sight.”

Will smiled. “Stop.”

Hannibal kissed his cheek and then nuzzled into his curly hair. Will listened to the lord’s steady breaths until a dream coiled around his ankles and pulled him in.

He sat on a horse atop a hill. A battle raged below him. The sky was clear and a stark blue, but, when he turned around, storm clouds neared them. A knight riding a black stag with raven feathers rode with the storm growing behind him, and Will suspected that the knight brought the storm with him. Fear gripped Will as the knight neared him, and the storm clouds blocked out the sun and overcame the sounds of the battlefield with rolling thunder while the knight stopped at his side.

Lightning illuminated Will’s new companion, and the knight’s helmet carried antlers much like a stag’s. An inky black cloud oozed from holes in the knight’s helmet and circled around Will in the darkness. The warmth of the cloud comforted him at first, but, as the circle grew tighter around him, it suffocated him and seeped in through his nose and mouth and eyes.

Darkness overcame him. The comfort Will felt frightened him.

With sweat clinging to him, he sat upright as he awoke. He panted and clutched at his chest. Hannibal’s hand rubbed his back, and the lord ultimately wrapped his arm around Will’s back as he sat upright as well. Hannibal kissed his ear.

Will mechanically recited the dream for him. He didn’t wait for Hannibal to ask.

Hannibal rubbed his upper lip as he listened to Will’s dream. Then Hannibal traced his fingers down Will’s arms and kissed his neck. “Everything will be fine,” he murmured. “It’s a good sign.”

“How is darkness consuming me a good sign?”

Despite the fear knitting inside of him, Will relaxed against Hannibal’s touches. Hannibal kissed underneath Will’s chin and said, “We bring darkness and the storm to the enemy. We will win.”

“And I’ll be consumed in the process.”

“Maybe by my mouth,” Hannibal said, pushing Will back onto the bed and straddling him around the waist. He pinned the knight’s hands above his head with his own. “I consume you in the darkness constantly, and I never hear you complain.”

Hannibal leaned down and brushed his lips against Will’s. Will smiled and arched upwards to kiss him. Hannibal slid downwards on Will’s sweaty body and kissed him deeper. He drew a soft moan out of Will’s lips. “Everything will be fine,” Hannibal murmured.

He kissed down Will’s chest and Will rubbed his back. They kissed and twined together in the darkness.

*

The following morning, Will rode next to Lord Hannibal Lecter onto the battlefield. Through his helmet, he watched Hannibal’s grace as they strode up the hill together. Hannibal was considered an eccentric in terms of his hands-on involvement in their military force, politics, and the welfare of his population. His interest in witchcraft and prophets did not help to aid this image, but most people did not mind their eccentric ruler.

Will surveyed the battlefield, and, true to his vision, thunder rolled overhead. Rain poured from the sky and rattled against their armour. Will squinted and struggled to see through the fog and haze. His head ached. He squinted as he saw infantry begin to fall. Hannibal nodded at Will as he drew out his sword, and Will followed suit as they rode into battle together.

Confusion hit Will amongst the rain. He couldn’t find Hannibal in with the other men and the haze, and he quickly stared at the tunics and flags to try to differentiate their men from the enemies. He could feel fear creeping up his legs. He swivelled his head and struggled to see friends or foes through the narrow holes in his helmet.

A pain shot through his arm, and he clenched his teeth and he looked down to see an infantryman holding a pike strong into a weak spot under his right arm. He struggled to swing to fight him, and another pike man stabbed his horse. The horse bucked Will off of him, and the infantryman dug the pike deeper into Will’s arm, twisting it into his flesh. Will let out a scream in pain as it tore into him. Pain dulled what remained of his vision, and his head yelled out in agony. The rest of his limbs felt lighter as the infantryman dug the pike deeper. Then the infantryman’s head flew off of his shoulders, and he recognized Beverly’s helmet as she positioned her and her horse overtop of Will to protect him.

Will blacked out as he stared at the less than majestic underside of Beverly’s muddy horse.

When he awoke, Will found himself sinking into Hannibal’s bed. He groggily blinked and looked around the room, and it was void of people. Will tried to rub his face, but he couldn’t raise his hand. He tilted his head to see the wound.

His right arm was completely gone. His bare chest and shoulder was tightly wrapped, and he saw the blood stains on the bandages. He rubbed his face with his other hand.

“I am awake.”

Alana Bloom walked into the room carrying a basin of water. She sat down on the bed beside Will and smiled at him. He watched the way her thick, dark hair fell across her shoulder and the way her dress hugged her form. Her soft eyes ran over him, and she wiped his forehead with a damp cloth. He said, “You’re beautiful.”

Alana smiled. “You’ve been through quite the shock, sir William.”

“Why do you think Hannibal hasn’t taken you as his wife?” Will asked. “You’re beautiful and intelligent and perfect.”

“We gave you a lot of alcohol to numb the pain,” Alana said and tried to hide a laugh.

“I appreciate that,” Will said. “I imagine losing an arm would be very painful.”

“It is going to feel strange for a while.”

“Why do you think Hannibal hasn’t picked you though?” Will asked. He sat up and cupped Alan’s cheek in his hand. “You’re so soft.”

Alana peeled Will’s hand off of her and held it between her hands. “Hannibal is always busy with another affair and I am not certain we are well suited for each other. Who he spends his time with does not concern me.”

“Have you thought of being a knight’s wife?” Will asked.

Alana laughed. “Sir William, I couldn’t handle the stress of it. I am not the stoic and elegant Lady Crawford. Right now I have my hands full with Abigail, not to mention my other duties.” Alana released Will’s hand and continued, “Speaking of Lady Abigail, she’s coming in to change your bandages. She stated interest in helping you, and I thought you’d be interested in receiving it.”

“Very.”

“Lord Hannibal mentioned your visions to her.”

Will dropped back into the bed as foggy images of the battle returned to him. “Is my Lord all right? Has anyone else been hurt?”

“Lord Hannibal is fine. He found you on the battlefield, sealed your word with his sword and a fire, and he rode back with you once it was over. Beverly’s fine too.”

“But there have been casualties.”

“Many,” Alana replied. Her soft smile faded and her eyes clouded over. “We won, and I suppose that is all that concerns Hannibal and Jack.”

“At least it wasn’t all for naught,” Will replied.

He lightly touched Alana’s cheek again, and he wondered if someone she cared for had been injured or killed on the field. This time Alana held Will’s hand to her cheek and watched his eyes. He stared at her lips and absently wondered what kissing her would be like, and her soft lips brushed against his forehead before pulling away from him and releasing his hand.

She turned her head and became flustered as she said, “Lady Abigail.”

“I’m here to help the wounded soldier in my Lord’s bed,” Abigail replied.

She smiled cheerfully, and Alana pulled away abruptly. She left the basin of water and excused herself as Abigail took her seat. “I suppose this is one fight you are happy you didn’t sneak onto the field for,” Will said, sitting up.

Abigail began to unwrap his bandages. “Freddie warned me,” Abigail said. “She said it was no battle for any knight, especially not an inexperienced one. Alana also barred the door to my room, and I noticed she trimmed the plants I use to climb down the window. Seeing you now, I am thankful for it.”

“Glad I could be of some use,” Will said.

Sitting upright, he watched Abigail’s elegant hands clean the wound. He winced, but she hardly reacted and did not apologize. Will examined his unwrapped wound, and his shoulder carried nothing but a clean gape where his arm should be. He suspected Hannibal made several incisions to make a clean wound rather than a ragged one. It was too tidy for an infantryman’s blow, though Will was not about to complain about it.

Abigail tightly wrapped the wound with clean bandages, and Will gritted his teeth to keep from making a noise. He said, “You have experience with this.”

“As a farmhand, I came in contact with a lot of accidents,” Abigail replied. “Alana is teaching me as well. She thinks it’s important than I keep busy, but Hannibal confided in me that he intends to make me his successor. A lady ruler. How wonderful would that be?”

“I think you would be wonderful,” Will replied. “And Bedelia and Alana will certainly help teach you everything that needs to be known. They’re smart women.”

“I suppose it’s too much to ask to have a prophet at my side,” Abigail cautiously said.

“Do you really think a prophet is necessary to run a kingdom?” Will asked.

“No,” Abigail replied. “But I would rather be prepared for a future that may not happen than let people die because I wasn’t prepared.” She frowned and hugged herself as she added. “I would hate for people to die because I didn’t speak up or act. Hannibal said something similar to Lady Bedelia about you when she said it was unwise to keep your company. I was eavesdropping.”

“I don’t consider myself a prophet,” Will said as Abigail finished changing his bandages. She moved to the window and Will continued, “Though I suppose I will not be much of a knight now. Lord Hannibal interprets my visions; they’re nonsense to me. I fear I am going mad, and Hannibal is desperately trying to convince me otherwise.”

Abigail thinned her lips and, after a pause, said, “Would you tell me about the vision you had before the battlefield? I am certain you had one. Lord Hannibal was confident riding in.”

“He’s always confident.”

“For someone who shares a bed with him, you do not seem to read him very well.”

Will frowned, and, with a sigh, he recited the dream to her. She listened quietly while looking out the window and, when he finished, she asked, “What do you think the stag knight means?”

“Death maybe?” Will asked. “Lord Hannibal thought it meant we’d bring death to the other side.”

“And you were being consumed by its darkness?”

“Well, I lost an arm,” Will said.

“And you think you are not a prophet and are just going insane,” Abigail asked with a smile.

“There’s many benefits to darkness,” Du Maurier said as she stepped into the room. “You said you felt comfortable as it consumed you?”

With a frown, Will nodded. He wasn’t sure why everyone came in to see him except for Hannibal. Du Maurier walked to the window and said, “Well, you can hide in darkness. You can feel safe in darkness. Everyone thinks darkness is this evil thing, but it depends on how you perceive the darkness. When the darkness is on your side, so is all the mystery and fear.”

Will scratched his beard and considered her words as he watched the pair look out the window. “What are you looking at?”

“They’re building the totem,” Abigail said.

Will got out of bed with a throbbing pain shooting through his legs and back. Nonetheless, he stretched his legs as he joined the two women at the window. He saw several of the knights and infantryman building a totem of corpses and parts. “I’ve always found this extremely distasteful,” Du Maurier said. “Especially since it means the other side can’t reclaim the bodies and check for casualties, but it does give a strong message, which is what Lord Hannibal wants.”

“It’s the smell I dislike,” Abigail said. “After the feast when they burn it in celebration, the smell lingers for a fortnight.”

“It is very unpleasant,” Du Maurier agreed.

Will cleared his throat and said, “Did I miss the feast then? Or is Lord Hannibal still preparing it?”

“He’s still preparing it,” Du Maurier replied. “Will you be joining us in it?”

“Do you think it’s odd that Lord Hannibal prepares the feast?” Abigail asked, leaning against the wall nearest to the window. “It’s not corpse-totem-odd, but it is odd, right?”

“Yes, not corpse-totem-odd, but I agree, it is odd,” Will replied with a smile.

Du Maurier rolled her eyes and sighed. “He is just very hands-on,” she said. She turned away from the window and squeezed Will’s remaining arm. “Consider what I said about the darkness being safe. I have a feeling you will be experiencing a lot of darkness.”

“Maybe you should be the prophet instead of me,” Will said with a weak smile.

Tilting the corner of her smile upwards, Du Maurier said, “I don’t think I would be quite as good at satisfying Lord Hannibal’s prophet needs.”

Will frowned. “Thanks.”

Du Maurier left the room and, with a sigh, Will sat back down on the bed. He still expected to feel the sheets beneath both of his hands instead of just one. Abigail turned back to Will. “I guess you won’t be turning down the advisor position again then.”

“I guess not,” Will replied.

“I’m supposed to tell you that Lord Hannibal invited you to sit next to him at the feast, if you feel well enough to dine with everyone,” Abigail said.

“Would you like me to be there?” Will asked. “If I sit next to him at the feast, I will displace you.”

“I am fine with being displaced,” Abigail said, nodding with a half-smile.

“Then I will go,” Will said. “Thank you for replacing my bandages. It feels better. Strange, but better.”

“You’re welcome.”

Abigail returned to looking out the window. Will suspected she lingered for a reason, and he asked, “Was there something else you wanted to discuss?”

“Nope,” she cheerfully replied.

“Nothing else Lord Hannibal wanted to ask or tell me?” he asked.

“Nothing else,” Abigail said.

Will sprawled out on the bed. He smiled as he thought of being free to stay in Hannibal’s luxurious bed, and now he could be an advisor without the other knights considering him a coward. While he preferred his arm, and he much preferred fighting on the field, his life wouldn’t be terrible. He would get a beautiful bed, at least, and the beautiful bedmate it came with.

He thought of sitting next to Hannibal at the table, officially next to him instead of a whispered rumour, and heat rose to his cheeks as he thought of it. Hannibal’s hand would touch his leg under the table and give it a friendly squeeze. He turned his head to watch Abigail dreamily looking out the window. Hannibal’s surrogate daughter. He wanted her to like him, not just because of Hannibal, but because he felt connected to her – he felt connected to her as soon as he rammed his sword into her father’s chest. When she turned to look at him, she smiled and shyly tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Would you describe your visions as nightmares?” she asked.

“Sometimes,” Will replied, nodding.

“I have nightmares,” she said. She turned back out the window.

Will sat upright cautiously. He said, “Do you want to talk about them?”

“No,” she said. “I just wondered if you didn’t sleep soundly either.”

“I don’t.”

“It shows.”

“It doesn’t show on you,” Will said. “You’re a beautiful girl, Abigail.”

She smiled shyly and sat down on the bed. “You know, this is all like a dream. I always wanted to be whisked away to a castle and treated like a princess. I always fantasized about climbing out of beautiful windows to go hunting in the woods. But now that I’m here,” her voice trailed off.

“It doesn’t feel right.”

“It doesn’t,” she said. “Does it feel right for you?”

“Not even close,” Will said.

They exchanged small, tired smiles. Abigail said, “We could run off into the woods and become witches like Freddie.”

“Hey, apparently I’m halfway there,” Will said. “We could certainly make it work.”

Abigail laughed. Her smile faded as she continued, “I think we would break Lord Hannibal’s heart if we did that though.”

“You’d certainly break his,” Will said.

“You too, I think.”

“Really?”

Abigail nodded. Will smiled. She stood up off the bed and smoothed out her dress. “I will take my leave and see you at the feast, Sir William.”

“I will look forward to it, Lady Abigail.”

Abigail smiled and then left the room. Will sprawled back down on the bed. He reconsidered the battlefield and wondered how he got separated from Hannibal so quickly in the rain. He wondered why Hannibal stopped watching him. He looked at the place where his arm once was and sighed. He then sat up and started to get dressed for the feast.

*

Will sat between Hannibal and Abigail at the head of the feast table. Bedelia Du Maurier sat on the other side of Hannibal and Alana sat next to Abigail. Will felt oddly centered at the table, as if he was positioned for everyone to see. Beverly, who sat too far away from him, offered him a smile, and he mouthed a “Thank you,” to her. She gave him a friendly wink.

The table stretched out into the long rom and various side tables attached to the main line. Empty spaces littered the table, but excess food tried to fill them. The hall was loud and, despite the casualties, there was a cheerful energy filling the room. Hannibal’s victory speech had lifted them, but Will tuned out during it to mourn the loss of his arm.

Of course, Will’s head throbbed and, as he stared at the meal Hannibal helped to prepare, he found himself with no appetite. He looked down at his food. A leg of chicken. Some other unrecognizable meat. Hannibal always prepared his food in intricate and obtuse ways. He heard someone talking about Hannibal using pig that was recently slaughtered.

Frustration also knotted within him as his hand rubbed his knee. He hated that Hannibal sat on the side where he lost his arm so he couldn’t hold his hand under his table. He pressed his leg up against Hannibal’s in the hopes that he would touch him – reassure him that everything was fine, but Hannibal simply pressed his leg back.

Was he hideous now? Was Hannibal disappointed he was weak and got injured? Would he simply become an advisor – someone untouchable like Bedelia Du Maurier or Alana Bloom?

He looked down at his plate and picked up his leg of chicken. The skin made it slippery, and the leg slipped from between his fingers. He tried using his other hand to catch it, but, of course, his other arm no longer existed. He looked down to the floor to see where it dropped, and he found it in Hannibal’s hand. The Lord smiled at him and placed it back on his plate.

Relief washed over Will, and he smiled. Hannibal’s eyes stayed on him, and Will looked at his lord’s lips and wondered when they would peck him next. They would peck him again. It was silly to think otherwise. He wouldn’t let Hannibal drop him that easily. The knight said, “You sat on this side so you would be here if I needed you.”

Hannibal nodded. “I thought I could try to fill what you lost,” he said. “Though I may not always be quick enough for it.”

Lowering his voice, Will said, “Would you put your hand on my knee?”

Hannibal wiped his mouth and then complied. He slid it upwards slightly to rest it on his thigh. Not high enough to be suggestive or arousing, but high enough to reassure Will of his interest. It was where Will usually rested his own hand in rest or in waiting. Hannibal smiled and said nothing. He turned his attention back to Du Maurier, but his hand stayed on Will.

Will considered all the new challenges he would face in his new position. He would have a stronger voice when it came to battle strategies, which meant butting heads with Sir Jack Crawford. He would be an equal to Du Maurier, which would add extra tension between them, and he would have to talk to her more now than before when she was simply calling him to Hannibal’s side. The other knights would treat him differently too, now that he would be an advisor.

His rubbed his temple as he considered these changes while his stomach turned. Hannibal’s hand gave him a friendly squeeze, and Will smiled to himself. With Hannibal by his side, he would be fine. Everything would be fine

Everything would have to be fine.

**Author's Note:**

> _originally posted at xisney.net_


End file.
